Why the heart needs to be strengthened before seeking answers

[An young being]

There are many reasons why people enter into Spirituality. The two major reasons are:

1. I am undergoing intense suffering and I need relief from them

2. I have too many questions about reality and I want answers.

For those who are in the first category, Enlightenment becomes a need more than a want comparatively, and any path they find to reach there can be beneficial.

But for those in the second category, desiring straight for the answers without any work can become detrimental for their own welfare or even their life.

For such people, the best way to seek is to strengthen the heart first. Strengthening the heart involves practicing the following qualities:

1. Compassion

2. Gratitude

3. Forgiveness

4. Unconditional love.

The first three are comparatively easier to practice either through meditation or by introducing them in our everyday life, whereas the last one takes time. 

Once the heart is strong, even mild meditation like 10 minutes everyday can lead to greater insights quickly as the ego is automatically weakened through strengthening of heart. Another side effect of a strong heart is immense joy.

If the heart is not strengthened, and ego dissolution or other spiritual experiences are achieved through shortcuts, it will take a very long time to comprehend what you have experienced, and it will turn your life upside down, leading to questioning of life and its purpose, sollipism, dark night of the soul etc., because your ego will return to it's natural state soon after the experience. The person with a strong heart will recover sooner as their natural ego state is already less.